Dukan Lake

Dukan was created in the 1950s by damming the Little Zab in a gorge, flooding a long valley and producing a reservoir of some two hundred and seventy square kilometres, the largest body of water in the Kurdistan region, used for power, irrigation and water supply. The setting is bare brown mountains dropping to blue water, which is striking, and the shore has been developed with resorts, restaurants, chalets and boat hire, busy with Kurdish families through the summer. Swimming and boating are the activities. Water levels fluctuate a great deal between wet and dry years and the drawdown exposes wide bare margins. The town of Dukan sits below the dam and the road from Sulaymaniyah runs through mountain country.

What's there

• The reservoir - blue water held between bare mountain slopes.
• The dam - the mid-century structure at the gorge.
• Shore resorts - chalets, restaurants and boat hire along the water.
• Drawdown margins - exposed banks when the level is low.

When to go

April to June for green hills and full water, September and October for settled weather. July and August are hot but busiest with holidaymakers. Levels drop through the dry season.

Things to know

Development along the shore is uneven and some resorts are run-down. Litter at the popular spots is a problem. Water levels vary a lot and low years leave a wide bare shoreline. Swimming areas are unsupervised.

Nearby

Sulaymaniyah lies southeast; Rawanduz is north.

Key facts